Grass-receiver for lawn-mowers.



No. 1666,780. Patonted Ian. 29, I90l.

w. b. TBIGALET. GRASS RECEIVER FOR LAWN MOWERS.

(Application filed May 9, 1900.) (N 0 II o d e l.)

was news Pnzns co momiumo. WASHIIGYON. a. c,

UNITED STATES WALTER D. TRIGALET, OF SOMERVILLE, NElV JERSEY.

GRASS-RECEIVER FOR LAWN-MOWERS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 666,780, dated January 29, 1901.

Application filed May 9, 1900. $erial No. 16,100. (No modem 7 T0 all whom it may concern.

Be it known that I, WALTER D. TRIGALET, a citizen of the United States, residing at Somerville, in the county of Somerset and State of New Jersey, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Grass-Receivers for Lawn-Mowers, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to a new and useful improvement in grass-receivers for lawnmowers, and has for one object to provide an attachment. and receptacle for receiving the cut grass direct from the cutting-knives of the mower. A further object is to provide this receptacle with a hinged back and bottom and having them so connected that they will swing in unison and havinga cord or chain secured to the back of the receptacle and passing up to the handle of the mower to be within easy reach of the operator, so that when the receptacle is full and it is desired to empty the same the operator by pulling this cord or chain will swing the back outward and the bottom upward, thereby dumping the cut grass in a heap without the necessity of leaving the handle of the mower.

Vith these ends in view this invention consists in the details of construction and combination of elements hereinafter set forth and then specifically designated by the claims.

In order that those skilled in the art to which this invention appertains may understand how to make and use the same, the construction and operation will now be described in detail, referring to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, in which Figure l is a section ofa lawn-mower with my invention attached thereto, and Fig. 2 a perspective view of the receiving-receptacle. Fig. 3 is aview of a fragment of the frame of the grass-receptacle.

In carrying out my invention as here embodied,A represents one of the driving-wheels of the mower.

B represents the rotating cutting-knives.

O is a stationary knife.

D is the stationary-knife support formed with the roller-shank D.

E is the roller, and F is the handle.

My invention consists of a receptacle G,

open at the top and the forward end. Of course this receptacle can be constructed of any material or of any thickness of material; but it must be made as light as possible, so as to add the least possible friction on the roller. As illustrated in the drawings, the construction consists of two L-shaped frames H on the sides of the receptacle. Secured in the angle of this L-shaped frame are the sides proper, I, which may be made of any light material, such as aluminium or other sheet metal or have a wire extending around the edge, the opening in between being covered with sheeting or other fiber. Extending across the top of the upright portion of the L-shaped frame is a cross-piece J, which serves to connect the two frames. Connecting the two hinged members of the L-shaped frame is the crosspiece K. The forward end of the horizontal 'mem her of the L-shaped frame H is recessed at the point L, the outline of this recess conforming to the outline of the end of the rollershank D. The roller-shank is pivotally connected to the frame H by the bolt D The frame 1-1 is provided with recesses L, in which the roller-shanks are pivoted, as fully shown in Fig. 3; but with this fastening alone when the receptacle is full it would cause an undue strain upon the roller-shank. To obviate this, I have provided a supporting device M, which is secured to the cross-piece J at the points m m and passes up over the handle F of the mower, thus relieving the roller of any strain. A turn-buckleN is provided on this supporter for the proper adjustment of the same. The bottom of the receptacle is composed of the frame 0, the center P of which is made of light material, the same as the sides I. This bottom is pivoted at the point Q to the frames H, and this bottom extends forward over the roller E, and upon the forward end is formed a shield R, which lies closeto the stationary knife 0. The purpose of this shield R is to prevent the cut grass from being thrown underneath the bottom. For the purpose of keeping the forward end of the bottom from touching the roller E, I provide adjustingscrews S, which are threaded through the cross-piece K and bear against the frame 0 of the bottom. The back of the receptacle 'is also formed of a rectangular framework T, the center U being made of similar material to the portion P of the bottom and I of the sides. This back is hinged to the crosspiece J at the points V.

W represents connections extending from the bottom and the back of the receptacle. The object of this connection is that when the bottom is down it will hold the back tightly closed. The more weight there is on the bottom the tighter the back will be held closed, and when the back is swung outward it will also swing the bottom upward, as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 1. As will be readily seen, this will cause the cut grass to be de posited upon the ground. For the purpose of pulling this back upward without stooping or leaving the handle of the machine a flexible cord or chain X is secured to the back and passes up and is fastened to the end of the handle F.

For the purpose of rendering the receptacle more stable I provide screws y upon each side of the frame H, which are threaded and pass into the forward ends of the frame H, and as the screws in the ends of the frame abut the roller-shanks, it will follow that the angle of the roller-shanks with relation to the frame II may be varied within certain bounds.

Among the advantages of my invention are that the attachment can be applied to any lawn-mower and necessitates no extra rollers to cause further friction upon the ground and that it can be emptied and returned to its operative position without the operator stooping or leaving the handle of the machine.

A further advantage of my attachment is that it is simple in construction and is capable of being manufactured of very light material and that the weight is carried almost entirely by the handle and this extra weight would only include the weight of the attachment and the cut grass, which when the receptacle is full only amounts to about seven pounds.

Of course I do not Wish to be confined to the exact construction here shown, as slight modifications could be made without departing from the spirit of my invention.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new and useful is 1. In a grass-receiver for lawn-mowers, L- shaped side frames recessed at their front ends to receive the roller-shanks of a lawnmower the vertical members of the said frames being at the rear, a bottom hinged at its rear end to the rear of the side frames, a cross piece approximately centrally of the frames, screws therethrough for engaging and holding the bottom of the receptacle out of contact with the roller, a hinged end for the receiver, a connection whereby the end and bottom are moved in unison and an adj ustable support for the rear of the receptacle.

2. In a grass-receiver for lawn-mowers, two stationary sides, a cross-piece J connecting said sides at the rear and top, a cross-piece K connecting said sides at the bottom, a back hinged at its upper edge to the cross-piece J, a bottom pivoted at its rear edge to the sides, recesses L formed in the sides into which the roller-shank is adapted to fit and be secured, a screw y for regulating the position of the receptacle, a screw S threaded through the cross-piece K and bearing against the under side of the bottom for the purpose of regulating the height of said bottom, a shield R secured to the forward edge of said bottom, connections W between the back and the bottom, a cord or chain Xconnected to said back and passing up within easy reach of the operator, anadjustable support M connected to the cross-piece J and passing over the handle F, substantiallyasshown and for the purpose set forth.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto affixed my signature in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

WALTER D. TRIGALET.

Witnesses DENNIS WYCHOFF, WILLIAM PARKER. 

